All Chapters of You Want Him? I'll Just Swap Grooms: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The engagement party was the kind of lavish affair that drew every notable name in Crestport. Crystal chandeliers scattered light across the ballroom while a piano melody drifted softly through the air.Evan Hartley dropped to one knee and slid the ring onto my finger. The room erupted in applause."Congratulations, Mr. Hartley!""He finally landed the girl!""Six years together and they're finally making it official!"But just as we raised our glasses to toast, a scream cut through the celebration. Every head in the room turned.A few tables away, a heavyset middle-aged man had a waitress by the wrist, drunk and refusing to let go. The young woman struggled to pull free, wide-eyed and panicked, but he only tightened his grip and yanked her closer."Don't play hard to get. You work at a place like this, so you know what you signed up for."Seconds dragged by. Her eyes grew redder, and her voice cracked as she fought back tears.That was when Evan charged across the room.He s

Chapter 2

After college, Evan swore he'd build something from nothing, all for Ivy. During the hardest years of his startup, he survived on dollar meals so he could save every cent to pay off her debts.Then she disappeared, without so much as a goodbye or an explanation. She vanished right when he was at his lowest, when he needed her the most.After that, Evan became a different person. He buried every sharp edge, locked away every feeling, and accepted the love match his family arranged for him. That match was me.In six years, he never once brought up Ivy's name. And so, I'd always believed she was a closed chapter in his life. I never imagined I'd see her again at our engagement party.Evan stood silently watching Ivy, his gaze fixed on her hands, which were covered in calluses and blisters. He didn't speak for a long time, long enough for the noise in the ballroom to die down. The guests exchanged knowing glances and quietly filed out, leaving them the space.Finally, he pulled a busi

Chapter 3

Ivy and Evan's eyes met, and a flicker of emotion passed through Ivy's gaze for a brief moment before she clenched her jaw and turned to leave.Evan grabbed her wrist. His teeth were practically clenched when he spoke. "Ivy, what are you doing here?"She pressed her lips together and didn't answer. She stood in front of a man worth billions of dollars like a stubborn Cinderella, holding onto her dignity with everything she had.Evan shook his head and turned to me. "Winnie, go ahead and start without me. Keep the client comfortable. I'll be right there once I deal with this."I looked at him for a moment, then smiled.I'd invested in this tech company and worked alongside Evan for six years. In all that time, his dedication to work bordered on obsession.For a 2:00 am conference call with an overseas client, he'd be seated in the room half an hour early. Even when he was running a fever of 103 degrees, he'd sign contracts with an IV drip still in his arm.If a flight was delayed

Chapter 4

When the company launched its overseas expansion, I assumed I'd be by Evan's side the way I always had been. For six years, I was the one who traveled with him, sat in on every negotiation, and handled everything on the ground.This time, he told his assistant, Tom Langley, something different. "From now on, Ms. Palmer will be accompanying me on all business trips."When she couldn't read a foreign contract, he translated it for her line by line. When she attended her first international forum and was so nervous that her palms were sweating, he took her hand and whispered, "Don't worry. I'm right here."Every spot that used to be mine quietly became hers.At a get-together with friends, someone even teased him about it. "Evan, Ivy's with you on every trip, every dinner, taking care of your every need. Isn't she basically your wife at this point?"The whole room burst out laughing. Ivy's face turned red, and she grabbed a throw pillow off the couch and hurled it at him. "Stop makin

Chapter 5

On the day of the party, I showed up at the Ellison family home alone, gift in hand.The courtyard was decorated for the occasion. Mom loved having people around, and even though her health had been getting worse with each passing year, the whole family still gathered every year to celebrate.The moment I walked into the living room, I saw her in her wheelchair, laughing and chatting with a few of the older relatives. Her face lit up when she spotted me."Winnie, you're finally here."She instinctively glanced past me toward the door. "Where's Evan? What happened? Did you two have another fight?"My fingers tightened around the gift box. I gave a slight nod. "Yeah."She didn't push it. She just waved everyone else out of the room, and once it was just the two of us, she let out a quiet sigh."Winnie, the truth is, I've known for a while." She smiled, but her eyes were full of worry. "You and Evan aren't right for each other. Every time you come home, you tell me everything's fin

Chapter 6

By the time Evan got back to the office, Tom had already been waiting for him."Mr. Hartley, Ms. Ellison left this. It's her resignation letter."Evan took it without much interest, glanced at it once, and tossed it on the desk. The corner of his mouth even curled into something mocking."She quit? Fine by me." He leaned back in his chair, his voice flat and utterly indifferent. "Saves me the trouble of babysitting the Ellison family's precious little princess who can't handle the slightest pushback."Ivy's eyes flickered with satisfaction. She walked over, draped her arms around his neck, and settled herself on his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world."Exactly." She smiled. "Someone like Winnie, who grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth, was never going to stick it out through the hard times with you. I'm the only one who's ever been willing to do that."Evan didn't push her away. He wrapped an arm around her waist, rested his forehead against her shoulder, an

Chapter 7

On my end, the new company was already taking shape.Several longtime clients I'd worked with over the years reached out almost immediately after hearing I'd left Hartley Corp. They hadn't hesitated, because it was never the Hartley name they'd trusted. It was me.Over the past six years, I'd been the one sitting across the table closing deal after deal, handling one difficult situation after another, pulling things back from the edge whenever it mattered most.Evan still thought of me as the sheltered rich girl fresh out of college, but he'd forgotten that most of the company's key partnerships and major clients were relationships I'd built and maintained myself. Once I walked away from Hartley Corp, all of that goodwill and reputation finally belonged to me.The new company had only been operating for two months, and the business was already running smoothly. Partnership agreements were being signed one after another, and projects were moving forward on schedule. Everyone in the

Chapter 8

What Evan never knew was that I had a first love of my own, one I'd kept in my heart for six years.His name was Nolan West.He was nothing like Evan. Nolan never made grand declarations or bought me jewelry worth a small fortune.He was the kind of person who would carry me on his back to the hospital when I was sick, who would wait downstairs just to make sure I had a warm meal before bed, and who would remember every little thing I liked and held onto every word I ever said.But at 22 years old, I didn't have the courage to stand up to my entire family for love.The year I graduated, Dad told me that the Ellison family's future depended on a marriage match with the Hartleys. I hesitated and fought against it, but in the end, I gave in. I let go of the person who loved me most with my own hands, burying the deepest love I'd ever felt.For six years after that, I tried to love Evan. I told myself that if I just tried hard enough, I'd eventually earn something real from him. But

Chapter 9

On the day of the wedding, the sun was perfect.The chapel was filled with flowers, white curtains drifting gently in the breeze. Guests took their seats one by one, every face carrying a warm smile. The music swelled, the doors opened, and Nolan walked toward me in a perfectly tailored suit.Six years had passed. His features were still exactly the way I remembered them, only the boyishness had faded, replaced by something steadier and more sure. The moment he saw me, his eyes brimmed with tears.The flower girl brought the rings to us. Nolan's hands were trembling as he slid the ring onto my finger, and then he couldn't hold it together anymore. He pulled me into his arms and held on tight, his shoulders shaking, tears falling silently onto my shoulder.I patted his back softly, my own eyes burning. This wedding was six years late, but it had finally come. The person I'd lost had found his way back to me, and six years of regret and waiting had finally reached the ending they des

Chapter 10

Evan muttered, "That's impossible. The groom never showed up. How can the wedding be over?"He then grabbed one of the cleaners by the arm, demanding answers. "Where's Winnie Ellison? Where did she go? Who else could she possibly have married if not me?"The woman looked at him like he'd lost his mind. She didn't bother explaining. She just bent down, picked up an invitation a guest had left behind, and handed it to him."See for yourself."Evan took it with trembling hands. The names were printed in elegant gold lettering. The bride was Winnie Ellison. And the groom's name, in the space where his used to be, was Nolan West.Evan's mind went blank. The invitation shook in his grip, and he couldn't make it stop. He stared at that unfamiliar, unbearable name until it finally sank in.I hadn't just left him. I'd replaced him, completely and permanently, and written him out of my life.When Evan returned to the office, he was unrecognizable. The man who'd always been composed, alway

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